Obamacare Repeal Could Threaten Provisions That Help Older Adults

Health InsuranceJanuary 28, 2017Comments Off on Obamacare Repeal Could Threaten Provisions That Help Older Adults

Medicaid doesn’t just provide health care for the poor; it also pays for long-term care for a lot of older people, including the majority of nursing home residents. Repealing the ACA could change the way Medicaid programs are funded.

Bill Gallery/Doctor Stock/Science Faction/Getty Images

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Bill Gallery/Doctor Stock/Science Faction/Getty Images

Medicaid doesn’t just provide health care for the poor; it also pays for long-term care for a lot of older people, including the majority of nursing home residents. Repealing the ACA could change the way Medicaid programs are funded.

Bill Gallery/Doctor Stock/Science Faction/Getty Images

Republican lawmakers meeting in Philadelphia this week say they want their replacement of Obamacare to be done by spring. There is no consensus on a plan yet, but several Republicans in Congress have already circulated proposals that could reduce or eliminate features of the federal health law that have benefited older Americans.

Here are some examples:

Prescription drugs

The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicare’s prescription drug benefit. Before the ACA, people on Medicare had to deal with a gap in that insurance coverage that